Post by sistergoldenhair on Mar 1, 2004 10:54:57 GMT -5
Modern Greek Religion
At least 95 percent of all Greeks claim membership in the Greek Orthodox church, part of the Eastern Orthodox church. Until 1054, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches were one body. Theological, political, and cultural differences split the church in two, and those differences were never completely reconciled.
Despite the power religion holds over everyday life, Greeks are not devout churchgoers. Aside from the special Easter celebrations, services are attended mainly by old women and young children. And the Greeks often defy their church's teachings by clinging to old superstitions. Trivial taboos abound: " Don't leave a scissors open or people will talk behind your back", "Allowing the closet door to stand ajar causes neighbors to gossip about the family", "If you wash your hair on a Sunday, you are destined to have a blue Monday", the list goes on and on...
Christmas tends to be a quiet, but certainly not solemn, season. On the evening before Christmas and New Year's, children sing carols from house to house. St. Basil's Day (New Year's Day) is a time for parties and gift giving. St. Basil is the Santa Claus of Greeks. Epiphany ( January 6) is a big celebration, it commemorates Christ's baptism in the Jordan River. The priest throws a cross into the sea and young (and old sometimes) men dive to retrieve it.
"Name Days" are bigger than birthdays in Greece, people invite their friends at home or go out with them. Custom demands the guest utter a simple two-word greeting, "chronia polla" ( "many years" ).
No time of year is more important to the Greek soul than the Easter (Pasha) season. The season starts with Carnival, a riotous party when everyone stuffs themselves with food and drink as a final fling before the long lean days of Lent. Lent officially begins on "Kathari Deftera" ( "Clean Monday" ), when families bring very simple foods out to the country and have picnic. At the picnic the kids busy themselves flying kites.
During the forty days of Lent, a devout Greek will shun meat, olive oil and wine. Good Friday (Megali Paraskevi) is a day of total fast and only essential workers show up at their jobs. Churches are draped in black, and their bells toll solemnly. The entire nation falls into a deep state of gloom that, to foreigners, is disturbingly real.
Near midnight on Holy Saturday (Megalo Savato) a special and very moving church service is held. The service begins with the priest reading the words of St. Paul to the Greeks at Corinth: "Listen! I will unfold a mystery - we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise immortal, and we shall be changed."
After the reading, the lights inside the church dim, and for a few seconds an eerie silence envelops the congregation. At the stroke of midnight the priest lights a fresh candle and announces in a voice filled with joy: "Christos anesti!" ( "Christ is risen!" ). The parishioners respond: "Alithos anesti!" ( "Indeed he has risen!" ), the people then stream toward the altar and light candles from the priest's candle. Carrying their flickering candles, they march out of church into a night that is alive with bells pealing wildly and fireworks exploding in the sky. The season of sorrows has ended.
(http://www.hellenism.net/eng/religion.htm)
At least 95 percent of all Greeks claim membership in the Greek Orthodox church, part of the Eastern Orthodox church. Until 1054, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches were one body. Theological, political, and cultural differences split the church in two, and those differences were never completely reconciled.
Despite the power religion holds over everyday life, Greeks are not devout churchgoers. Aside from the special Easter celebrations, services are attended mainly by old women and young children. And the Greeks often defy their church's teachings by clinging to old superstitions. Trivial taboos abound: " Don't leave a scissors open or people will talk behind your back", "Allowing the closet door to stand ajar causes neighbors to gossip about the family", "If you wash your hair on a Sunday, you are destined to have a blue Monday", the list goes on and on...
Christmas tends to be a quiet, but certainly not solemn, season. On the evening before Christmas and New Year's, children sing carols from house to house. St. Basil's Day (New Year's Day) is a time for parties and gift giving. St. Basil is the Santa Claus of Greeks. Epiphany ( January 6) is a big celebration, it commemorates Christ's baptism in the Jordan River. The priest throws a cross into the sea and young (and old sometimes) men dive to retrieve it.
"Name Days" are bigger than birthdays in Greece, people invite their friends at home or go out with them. Custom demands the guest utter a simple two-word greeting, "chronia polla" ( "many years" ).
No time of year is more important to the Greek soul than the Easter (Pasha) season. The season starts with Carnival, a riotous party when everyone stuffs themselves with food and drink as a final fling before the long lean days of Lent. Lent officially begins on "Kathari Deftera" ( "Clean Monday" ), when families bring very simple foods out to the country and have picnic. At the picnic the kids busy themselves flying kites.
During the forty days of Lent, a devout Greek will shun meat, olive oil and wine. Good Friday (Megali Paraskevi) is a day of total fast and only essential workers show up at their jobs. Churches are draped in black, and their bells toll solemnly. The entire nation falls into a deep state of gloom that, to foreigners, is disturbingly real.
Near midnight on Holy Saturday (Megalo Savato) a special and very moving church service is held. The service begins with the priest reading the words of St. Paul to the Greeks at Corinth: "Listen! I will unfold a mystery - we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise immortal, and we shall be changed."
After the reading, the lights inside the church dim, and for a few seconds an eerie silence envelops the congregation. At the stroke of midnight the priest lights a fresh candle and announces in a voice filled with joy: "Christos anesti!" ( "Christ is risen!" ). The parishioners respond: "Alithos anesti!" ( "Indeed he has risen!" ), the people then stream toward the altar and light candles from the priest's candle. Carrying their flickering candles, they march out of church into a night that is alive with bells pealing wildly and fireworks exploding in the sky. The season of sorrows has ended.
(http://www.hellenism.net/eng/religion.htm)
